You Need to Run Away from Your Business

Did you realize you need to run away from your business? That it could be one of the best things you ever did for it?

My blog post today for Inspire Photo Retreats is all about the things I learned when I did this myself last year.

Last year, I left home for what ended up being a 4 month, 19,000+ mile road trip. It wasn’t planned to be that long when I left, but as work found me along the way, I kept going. We left home originally so I could attend the World Domination Summit in Portland, visit family there, and then head to Seattle to see Mike’s brother and his family. After that, Mike was going to fly home, I’d drive back to Denver, park my car to fly to speak at BlogHer in Chicago, fly back to Denver to coach at the Team-X Fight Club, and then drive home.

When Fight Club ended was when it all began. I needed … something. I needed to get away. To unplug. To quiet the noise.

It is incredibly hard to admit that I completely neglected my business for those two weeks. As I reflect back on it, I realize it was one of the smartest moves I’ve made recently.

Writer, Coach, Avenger of Sexiness. My Superpower: Helping you grow your Confidence and rediscover your Beauty. It is time to stop believing the lies of the Perfection Culture. I live in Houston, Texas when I'm not traveling in my Mini Cooper. After all, Have Gear, Will Travel!

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Writer, Coach, Avenger of Sexiness. My Superpower: Helping you grow your Confidence and rediscover your Beauty. It is time to stop believing the lies of the Perfection Culture. I live in Houston, Texas when I'm not traveling in my Mini Cooper. After all, Have Gear, Will Travel!

Tara, I was gone offline during what is always the slowest time of year for me, so ignoring my email for two weeks had no repercussions, fortunately. All of my other client’s work was wrapped up and out the door – mostly thanks to surgery. Camping kept the costs insanely low as well.

It’s awesome if you can do it – but if you are single it gets much harder and is usually an unrealistic daydream. My safety net is MY savings – I don’t have anyone else to rely on. While I love working for myself and freelancing I know all too well it can be feast or famine. I may have savings stockpiled, but I don’t know when I may have to dip into that for survival. Taking time off, while awesome for clearing my head, always comes with a certain amount of financial risk.

Jes Reynolds I funded those two weeks entirely through “extra money” I had earned doing photo shoots. Essentially as if I was single. I couldn’t have done it if I had touched the “house money” to make it happen.

Jes Reynolds I think anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You might not be able to take two weeks off every year, but you should be able to manage some time off. I hate to be direct, but if you can’t take any time off from your job during the year (self employed or otherwise) something is very wrong.

I chose the words “run away” quite intentionally. I was on the brink of snapping. Of falling apart. I cried, repeatedly, when faced with turning my car south and heading home. I then figured out how to MAKE it work. I don’t consider it a luxury at all. I considered it therapy. Saving my sanity. Something that I had to do. Something that completely changed me to the core.

Maybe for you it isn’t stepping out of your life for two weeks. Maybe for you it is something else. But I think we all have to listen to ourselves when we get to that point, before we break and crumble. I was on the edge. Folding in on myself. That was why the post on the Inspire blog was so hard to write.

I’m not trying to say that wasn’t hard to write or hard to do. I AM saying I glad you were able to do that. I am also saying that not everyone CAN make it work, as badly as they need it. I am just pointing out the sad reality for most of us. I can make it wok now but there were many times when I felt like I really, really, really needed something like this and as a single mom and/or for a variety of reasons – there was NO way to make it work.

I think the point is – take the time you need. FIND the time. You need it. Burn out is ugly. So is ignoring your heart to the point where everything implodes. I’m a single mom, too, so I get it – being the sole earner in your household, trying to make it work. But even one or two extra days bookended onto a business trip is so good for entrepreneurs.

Hello! I’m Christine!

I am Christine Tremoulet, a Coach and an Avenger of Sexiness. My Superpower: Helping women (like you!) grow their Confidence and rediscover their Beauty. Learn more about me here.

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